Ruby regained her strength quickly, and soon—too soon for Archie's liking, really—she was up and about as if nothing had happened.
She waved off any concern he had, ignoring his pleas to take it easy and insisting she "needed to do what she could before she was no good to anyone." He arched his brow at her but didn't press further, both glad for her enthusiasm and worried she was pushing herself too hard.
He did notice that she began to slow down as the weeks passed and her time grew closer. More often than not, she would accept a chair offered and rest while he or August took over some of the chores, and they, in turn, pretended to follow her instructions.
If Archie was worried about the health of the baby, he didn't need to wonder long on that front, either. Ruby's excitement at each flutter and kick had quickly grown to annoyance, and he couldn't help but chuckle every time she complained about the activity within her.
"This is definitely Peter's child," she playfully groaned one day, taking a step back from the stove to rub the side of her belly. "He won't stop kicking and jumping. I swear, I half expect this boy to run away to join the circus!"
Archie almost offered to rub her back for her, wishing to ease her discomfort, but thought better of it and kept his mouth shut. He felt a little guilty about the delight with which he had watched her grow, now that she was so uncomfortable, and he saw how she loved throwing herself into her preparations. Their cozy evenings in front of the fireplace had seen the pile of baby things beside her grow—both sewn and knitted—and Archie couldn't believe that soon there would be such a tiny addition to their family.
Indeed, the excitement he felt, the anticipation, took him by surprise. His heart was already full, picturing a baby in the household—Ruby with her child in her arms, rocking him or her to sleep by the fire. A little brother or sister for August. He should have known better, but he hadn't expected his heart to be filled with such love for a child he hadn't even met yet, and he had to remind himself that this wouldn't be a permanent situation.
Ruby would eventually be leaving to go back east.
The thought stabbed at him with more force than he expected, especially when she'd flash him her smile as they sat around the kitchen table, or when her eyes were filled with excitement as she held up the latest piece of clothing that looked like it was meant for a doll.
You knew this would happen, Hopper. This is not a surprise.
And yet, all Archie could do was shake his head at himself and ignore the knowledge that heartbreak was the only thing that lay ahead.
Ruby took a deep breath and stopped her knitting, her hands frozen in place as her grip tightened around the needles. She let out her breath slowly, trying to focus on the sound of August reading beside her, to think of anything but the fierce kick the baby had given to her ribs or the way he liked to make a plaything of her bladder. And to think, she'd been excited when she'd first felt the baby move! While she'd had an easy pregnancy, she was growing weary of being pregnant and looking forward to holding her child in her arms… outside of her body.
As she resumed her knitting, she glanced up at Archie and caught his eyes before she quickly looked away. So he had noticed. Ruby smiled to herself as she focused on her work, the soft yarn running through her fingers as the little cap grew on her needles.
After a few moments, she threw another glance at Archie, who was hunched over his books on the kitchen table. She furrowed her brow, curiosity nibbling at her as to what he was working on so intensely, but she couldn't bring herself to ask, and he didn't offer. There was something familiar about the crease in his brow, or the way he absentmindedly licked his lips when he was lost in thought, looking over the pages before he'd scribble something down. It was probably just records for the homestead, but she hoped everything was okay.
Suddenly, he closed his books and stood up, and Ruby started. She raised her brow, but he only smiled back and collected his books, tucking them in his drawer. Then, he made his way to the hooks by the door.
"I'm just going to the barn," he finally said, shrugging on his coat. "I won't be long."
"Okay," Ruby replied with a nod, wholly unsatisfied. She looked at August and shrugged before her fingers continued their activity.
August took his father's absence as an excuse to stop his reading, and he let his book flop to his lap. "Miss Ruby, I have a question."
"Oh?" Ruby asked with a smirk. "Just one?" She looked back at August and her features softened at his earnest expression. "I'm listening," she assured him.
"Well, I was wondering, and seeing as you're going to have one, I thought you could tell me—where did your baby come from?"
Ruby froze and her eyes widened. "I—uh—didn't your pa ever tell you?" she finished lamely.
"No, ma'am," he said with a sincere shake of his head, his eyes fixed on hers.
Ruby frowned, her hands resting on her stomach as she grasped at a suitable explanation. It was no wonder the boy was curious, given her state, but surely Archie would have explained certain things by now!
"Don't you know where your own baby came from?" he asked, tucking his chin and looking up at her.
"Of course I do!" Ruby sputtered, her cheeks flushed at the fact that she was losing ground to a nine-year-old. "It's just… complicated."
August sat back in his chair with a huff. "I don't see why—everyone's always having 'em, but nobody says how they came. And I'm not a kid—I know the stork doesn't bring them."
Ruby tried not to chuckle. "Of course. I just… no one's asked me so directly before."
There was a pause, and August arched his brow at Ruby to urge her to continue.
"Okay," Ruby said, taking a deep breath and turning slightly in her chair towards the boy. She rested her knitting on her stomach, having no lap to speak of, and she lifted her hands up for emphasis. "A baby happens when… a ma and pa love each other so much, that they come together, and"—she chewed her lip in thought, unsure of how to continue—"well, it just spills over and makes a baby."
"It?" August asked, crossing his arms.
"It," Ruby said quickly. "The love. It."
She picked up her knitting again, but noticed the wheels still turning in the boy's head.
"So, if this baby is from your first husband, does that mean you don't love my pa? 'Cause he's your husband now."
Ruby froze, a new kind of panic seizing her. Her mind raced, and she wasn't sure if she wanted Archie to come in and save her from this conversation or to stay in complete ignorance of this interaction.
"It's just that, I loved my husband first," Ruby tried to explain, knowing that she didn't need to get into the semantics of his question. At the very least, August was very inquisitive, but at most, he wanted to be reassured. "That doesn't mean I don't care for your father. They're just different."
"Okay," August replied with a shrug.
Ruby kept a close eye on him as he absentmindedly picked up his book. She could tell he wasn't quite finished, though, and she braced for the next question as she began her knitting.
"I guess there's a lot of love over at Emma's house," August declared. "She's got herself and a brother."
Ruby fought to hold back her laughter and instead let out a snort. "That's one way of putting it," she exclaimed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "But I think you'd better get back to your reading if you want to be finished this chapter before your pa gets back." She nodded to his book and he rolled his eyes before dutifully turning his focus to the pages.
Ruby smiled to herself, affection washing over her. She thought over her words—assuring August that she cared for his father—and, though they'd known each other for a few short months, she realized it was true. Then again, one was bound to feel something for a person with whom you shared such close quarters, and Archie was a good man.
She also knew deep down that she would have a very hard time leaving the enthusiastic nine-year-old beside her, and she pushed the thought aside as it jabbed into her heart suddenly. Instead, she reminded herself of the fun to come, meeting her child and introducing him or her to August, who she knew would be quite the attentive big brother.
She would also have to figure out how to suggest to Archie that he might need to have a more detailed discussion on a certain subject that was best left to a father to explain to his son.
The afternoon faded quickly, and soon Ruby was placing dinner on the table. The sky was dark, and Ruby was tempted to send August out after his father—knowing he could manage the short distance to the barn with a lantern—but relief washed over her when Archie entered.
"You were gone awhile," she noted as he hung up his coat and hat.
"I was just finishing something up," he said as an apology. He didn't say more, and Ruby followed his lead as they all sat down to the table and bowed their heads for grace.
Ruby didn't have to wait long for at least one of Archie's secrets to reveal itself. After the meal, Archie disappeared out the door. Before Ruby had a chance to question August, his father appeared carrying a large wooden structure.
"A cradle!" Ruby exclaimed, rising up from her seat awkwardly. "Oh, Archie, a cradle!"
She clasped her hands together and rushed to examine it, right down to the beautiful carvings of stars all around the edge and crowned by a moon at the headboard.
"Did you make this?" Ruby asked softly, her gaze finally meeting Archie's as she bent over as best she could with her stomach.
"I was thinking you'd need a place for the baby to sleep once he or she arrives," Archie explained, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's magnificent." She traced the delicate carvings with her fingers, her chest tight with emotion to think of all the hard work he'd put into it—for her. For a child that wasn't even naturally his.
The wood was solid, the joints strong. With a few blankets, it would be cozy for a newborn, and for a moment, Ruby was lost in the picture of her child sleeping soundly as she rocked him. She instinctively rested her hand on her stomach as the future became vibrantly real.
"Thank you," she breathed, her eyes fixed on the cradle before she looked up and met Archie's gaze. He helped her up, and she wrapped her arms around him.
"Oh, I—y-you're welcome," he stammered, gingerly placing his hands on her back.
Ruby pulled back and wiped at her eyes, her vision blurred slightly, making the carvings of the cradle look magical in the flickering light. So, that's what he'd been up to.
Ruby took a deep breath, her chest full with the knowledge that everything was coming together—both excited and terrified that everything was about to change.
February came and went in its own dull bleakness, the depth of winter holding strong before the first hint of spring would begin its thaw in March. In the midst of her preparations for baby's arrival, Ruby didn't forget an important anniversary—her and Peter's wedding. February 18 marked what would have been their first year of marriage, and the realization hit Ruby like a kick to the stomach. When she awoke, she twirled Peter's ring around on her finger before pressing it to her lips, sending a word of thanks to the heavens for their short months together. For a moment, she let herself remember, tears pricking her eyes and grief clutching at her chest. Then, she blinked, threw off the covers, and shuffled out of bed.
There was lots to do.
She could tell that Archie noticed her solemn state, and she whispered her explanation to him as she poured his coffee, while August was at a safe distance getting dressed. Thankfully, he didn't make much of it—only offered his sympathies in his quiet way, with a look and a nod and a squeeze to her shoulder. He also suggested that he could take August out for the day with him to town, but Ruby insisted that it wasn't necessary. In truth, she didn't want to be left alone with her thoughts on this of all days.
The bittersweet remembering also coloured the anticipation of her child's arrival. She was excited to meet her little one, but her heart ached at the thought that he would never know his father. Mixed with that, she also became more anxious about what could go wrong as the time grew near.
Relief washed over her when the Nolans were able to visit at the end of the month. Ruby rushed out to greet them—or, more accurately, waddled—forgetting her shawl in her haste. The two women hugged after Mary Margaret hopped down from the carriage, which turned into exclamations over Ruby's size and rubs to her stomach.
They laughed as Archie herded them safely inside along with the children, mumbling something about the cold. Ruby let out a happy sigh when she and Mary Margaret were finally able to relax by the fire with baby Leo—who was growing big, himself, nearing his first birthday—while Archie and David amused Emma and August outside. It had been decided that Mary Margaret would help with the birth, since she was both experienced and close by, and after Ruby had exhausted every possible question she had—having taken advantage of one of the last times alone with her friend before the big day arrived—the conversation shifted to a surprising topic.
"So, has there been any news on the doctor?" Mary Margaret asked nonchalantly before taking a sip of her tea. Leo was relaxed in her other arm, having finally stopped his squirming, his eyelids heavy as she bounced him on her arm.
Ruby gawked, completely baffled. "Doctor?"
"Didn't you know?" Mary Margaret replied with a frown as she placed her mug on the table. "Archie's been canvassing the whole town like a madman, trying to stir up support to bring a doctor to Storybrooke. He even managed to get Cora Mills on board, of all people." Mary Margaret paused, taking in Ruby's expression. "I'm sorry, I hope I didn't spill his secret. I just assumed you knew—everyone this side of the state line must know by now!"
"No wonder," Ruby murmured, sinking into her chair as realization dawned, the last piece of the puzzle fitting into place. All his mysterious trips to town, no matter the weather, and coming back exhausted with an empty wagon. "That's what he's been up to this whole time." She threw a look out the window, though she couldn't see him, and she rubbed her stomach as a lump rose in her throat.
Mary Margaret grabbed her cup again and continued on like nothing had happened. "He wanted to have the doctor come before your time came, but I don't think he's going to arrive until the summer. He must not have said anything so as not to get your hopes up."
Ruby swallowed and blinked to clear her vision as she brought her focus back to her friend. Archie's gesture spoke volumes, even though she would probably be long gone before she could even meet the doctor. Still, Storybrooke deserved to have a doctor of their own. "Thank you for telling me," she said, reaching out to squeeze her friend's hand.
Even after all these months, Ruby found she was still surprised by Archibald Hopper.